DRINKERS who cause trouble in any Alsager pub could be banned from all the town's watering holes under a new scheme to crack down on drunken yobs.

DRINKERS who cause trouble in any Alsager pub could be banned from all the town's watering holes under a new scheme to crack down on drunken yobs.

The Pubwatch Scheme, which already operates in Crewe and Nantwich, has now been launched in Alsager.

All but two of the 25 pubs in Alsager, Church Lawton and Scholar Green have signed up.

And there are plans to launch the scheme in Sandbach and Congleton over the next few weeks.

Acting Inspector Chris Morrall, of Congleton and Vale Royal Police, said: 'The idea is anybody who causes trouble in one pub isn't just banned from that one pub in town but all of them.

'Somebody who is banned becomes a bit of a pariah because their mates won't want to avoid the pubs just because they can't go in so it's all about educating them.'

Initially, depending on the type of behaviour, the troublemaker could get a caution in the form of a letter a sort of 'yellow card' for pubgoers.

'This will say if they carry on they'll get a 'red card' but not just from one pub, from all of them,' said the inspector.

The length of a ban will vary and anyone banned does have a right of appeal and there will be a review period. In extreme cases, the ban will be for life.

In the Crewe area, three people have been given lifetime bans.

'In many cases, banning people is more effective than anything we can do,' said Mrs Morrall.

In Nantwich the scheme has been criticised by some landlords because, they say, although they have a list of names of people banned from the pubs, they do not have their pictures and therefore might not recognise them.

The police inspector says photographs cannot be released of people banned by pub landlords because, according to the law, it is an infringement of human rights. However lists of names can be posted up.

'Most of the people who are drinking in the town are local to Alsager and they're known to more than one licensee,' said the inspector. 'If somebody recognises them they can tell the landlords.'

Having helped launch the scheme, the police now intend to take a back seat.

It's very much up to the landlords and they are keen for it to work.

'The customers have already been talking about it, wanting to know what will happen if they misbehave,' said Tracy Mappley, licensee of the Alsager Arms.

'I think it will work well. With the size of Alsager, people know each other and they'll also probably know the people from Crewe who cause trouble if they come over.'

Terry Morris, of the Horseshoe, added: 'Most pubs have signed up and already it's creating a better feeling.'